Coupler release rigging



July 31, 1928. 1,678,786

- w. J. REGAN COUPLER RELEASE RIGGING Filed July 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet July 31, 1928, 1,678,786

W. J. REGAN COUPLER RELEASE RIGGING Filed Ju1' 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAMJ. REGAN, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOCON- WAY & TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, "PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

- Application filed July 24, 1925. Serial No. 45,909.

My invention relates to the constructioning the lock to unlocked position but also performing the functionof preventing the lock from accidentally assuming unlocked position as-the result-of the shocks and jars incident to service.

A further object of the invention is to pro duce a coupler release rigging of the character indicated in which the elements are related in a manner ensuring the eff cient performance of the lock-to-lock function, and at the same time affording ample clearances avoiding interference of parts with a conpler carrier iron of comparatively great depth and with the steam or air hose.

The primary feature of the invention, generally stated, consists in associating the-lock of a car coupler with a lock actuating mechanism involving a pivoted member-which engages said lock and which, in addition to causing an unlocking operation, serves as a means for preventing the lock from accidentally assuming unlocked position, the said pivoted member upon an accidental movement of the lock being adapted to come into engagement with a stop which serves to arrest the unlocking movement of the p voted member and thereby check the unlocking movement of the lock, said stop coopv eratingly engaging the pivoted member at a point intervening between the pivot of said member and its point of engagement with the coupler lock. 1 l

Other features of invention residing in advantageous forms and relations of parts will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims. a

,In the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, V

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the release rigging showing its relation to the coupler, the parts being in normal locked relation and portions of the uncoupling'levers which extend toward the sides of the car being omitted. I

Figure 2 isa detail view in side elevation of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, the parts being in the position they assume fvhlin preventing accidental unlocking of the Figure 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 3-3, Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional View on the line H, Fig. 3.

Figure 5 line 5--5, Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the supporting bracket forming a bearing for the lock lifter. A

Figure 7 is a detail View in side elevation showing a modified construction embodying the invention.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, 1 is a coupler head upon which is pivotally mounted a knuckle 2, the latter being normally retained in coupled position by means of a gravity actuatedlock 3 which is vertically movable. The head 1 of the coupler is pivotally mounted upon the stem 4 by means of a vertically extending pivot pin 5 which, at its lower end, is formed with a polygonal head 6 and at its upper end is threadedto receive anut :7 for retaining the said pin in assembled relation.

Beneath the coupler head is a pivoted lock actuating member 8 which, as will hereinafter appear, also serves to prevent accidental unlocking of the lock 3. This lock lifter is mountedfbeneath the coupler head is a detail sectional view on the v 1 so as to swing with the latter. Its forward ward end the lifter is provided with a'fa ce or shoulderwlO adaptedto engage and bind upon a corresponding shoulder'll at the lower end of thelock 3 when the latter accidentally moves upwardly toward unlocked position.

The look so asto have an axis of rotation to the rear of, the pivot pin 5 connecting the coupler actuating member 8 is pivoted 12 which are loosely journaled in spaced hook-like bearings 13 forming parts of the supporting bracket 14 secured to the coupler.

The lock actuating member 8 is provided between the trunnions 12 with a pocket or recess 15 adapted to receive the upwardly extending'inner ends 16 of rotatable uncoupling levers 17 which respectively extend in opposite directions toward the sides of the car. These uncoupling levers are well known and operate in the usual manner. The recess 15' is preferably open at the top and also opens through the sides of the lock lifter 8 belowthe trunnions 12. The adjacent ends 16 of the uncoupling levers 17 are supported upon the lower Wall 18 of the recess 15, the said wall, when the parts are in assembled position, being sufiiciently far below the lower faces of the hooked arms 13 of the bracket to permit the adjacent ends of the uncoupling levers to be introduced into the recess 15, but being sufficiently near the lower faces of the hook-like bearings to cause the uncoupling levers 17 to come into engagement with the bracket and thus prevent any such extended upward movement of the rear end of the lock lifter as would enable the trunnions to become accidentally disassociated from the bearing bracket 14.

At a point between the pivot of the lock lifter 8 and its point of engagement with the knuckle locking device 3 the lock lifter is formed with oppositely disposed laterally extending projections forming'stop shoulders 19 which are respectively designed to cooperate with corresponding projections or shoulders 20 with which the bracket 14. is provided. As shown in the drawings, the engaging faces or shoulders of the projections 19 and 20 are preferably correspondingly curved, the center of the curvature being slightly below the center of the trunnions 12 when the parts are assembled and in normal locked relation. The stop lugs 20 project inwardly toward each other and intervene between the projections 19 and trunnions 12. The cooperating lugs 19 and 20, which bind 0r jam against each other when the lock accidentally moves towardu'nlo'cked position, relieve the trunnions 12 from the duty of participating inlocking the lock against accidental unlocking. This permits the trunnions, as well as the rear end of their supporting bracket 14., to be lowered vertically so as to clear a carrier iron of unusual depth, without necessitating a corresponding lengthening of the locking pin 3 in order to ensure efficient performance of the lock-to-the-lock function by the lifter member 8.

The bracket 14: which forms a pivotal support for the lock actuating member 8 may be of any suitable form and secured to the coupler in any desired manner. It preferably is fashioned with a transversely extending web 21 which unites the hook like arms slightly in advance of the projections 19 upon the lock; and it' is also preferably provided with a plate-like portion 22 having a pivot pin opening 23 for receiving the pin 5 connecting the coupler head 1 to the coupler stem 1. Depending lugs 24 with which the coupler head is provided adjacent the pivot pin opening overlappingly engage the neighboring portion let of the bracket and therebycause the lat ter to partake of the turning movements of the coupler head, as will be readily understood. The head 6 on the lower end of the pivot pin 5 extends under the plate-like portion 14 of the bracket and-thus serves to retain the latter in assembled position.

The modified form of construction illustrated in Fig. 7 is identical with theconstruction heretofore described except that the portions of the bracket forming bearings for the trunnions 12 are made without upward extensions rearwardly of the trun nions. cause the trunnions of the lock lifter do. not participate in the performance of the lock-to-the-lock function of the mechanism.

WVhen' either of the uncoupling levers 17 is rotated in the proper direction the upwardly extending inner end 16 thereof causes a corresponding rotation of the lock actuating member 8, thus withdrawing the shoulder 10' at the upward end of the lock lifter from alinement with the shoulder 11 on the lock 3. On continuing its unlocking movement the forward end of the lifter member 8 comes intocontact with the top wallof the slot 9 of the lock and causessaid lock to move upwardly to unlocked position. If, however, the lock attempts accidentally to perform an unlocking movement, the lock lifter 8 swingsupwardly a short distance and, as shown in Fig. 2, the cooperative shoulders 10 and 11 atthe for- Ward end of the lifter and the cooperating projections 19 and 20 bind against each other, thus arresting further unlocking movement of the lock lifter 8 and thereby preventing the lock 3 from accidentallyunlocking. w

I claim: 7

1. In a device of the character indicated, the-combination with a car coupler involv- Such a construction is possible-be iii! ing a head,a knuckle and means for locking said knuckle in closed position, of mechanism'for moving said knuckle locking means to unlocked position, said mechanism includinga pivoted'member which engages and is adapted to actuate said means, and means forming a stop for cooperating with said pivoted member to prevent said knuckle ing a head, a knuckle and a lock for said knuckle, of means for movlng said lock to unlocked position, said means including a pivoted member engaging sald lock and movable with said coupler, and a stop for cooperating with said pivoted member to prevent said look from accidentally assuming unlocked position, said lock being movable with respect to said stop and the latter being adapted to engage said pivoted member between its pivotal point and its point of engagement with said lock.

3. In a device of the character indicated, the combination with a car coupler involving a head, a knuckle and a lock for said knuckle, of a bracket carried by said coupler a member pivotally mounted on said bracket and engaging and adapted to actuate said lock, and means for rotating said pivotally mounted member to effect an unlocking operation of said lock, said bracket and said pivoted member being provided with stop shoulders which upon an accidental unlocking movement of said lock are 5 adapted to engage each other so as to prevent said pivoted member from assuming a position permitting accidental unlocking of said lock, said stop shoulders being spaced from the pivotal connection of said pivoted member.

et. In a device of the character indicated, the combination with a car coupler involving a head, a knuckle and a lock for said knuckle, of a pivoted member adapted to actuate said lock, a bracket carried by said coupler, and means for actuating said pivoted member, said pivoted member being provided with trunnions which engage and are rotatably supported by said bracket, and said pivoted member being provided with a plurality of shoulders in spaced relation to said trunnions respectively adapted to engage said lock and said bracket when said lock accidentally moves toward unlocked position, whereby an unlocking operation of said pivoted member is restrained and accidental unlocking of said lock is prevented.

5. In a deviceof the character indicated, the combination with a car coupler involving a head, a knuckle and a lock for said knuckle, of a rotatable member engaging and adaptedto actuate said lock, means for supporting said rotatable member at a point spaced from saidlock, said rotatable member being pivotally supported by said supporting means through the intervention of a pivot pin device, and means independent of said pivot pin device for arresting movement of said rotatable member to thereby prevent accidental unlocking of said lock, said last named means including a plurality of spaced shoulders formed on said rotatable member.

6. In a device of the character indicated, the combination with a car coupler involving a head, a knuckle and a lock for said knuckle, of a pivoted member engaging and adapted to actuate said lock, means for actuating said pivoted member, and means cooperating with said pivoted member for arresting the unlocking movement of the latter when said lock accidentally moves toward unlocked position, said pivoted member being formed with a curved surface adapted to bind against said last named means, and said curved surface being eccen- Eric to the pivotal axis of said pivoted memer. V

7. In a device of the character indicated, the combination with a car coupler involving a stem, a head pivotally mounted thereon, a knuckle and a lock for said knuckle, of a bracket carried by said coupler and movable with said head, a lock lifter for actuating said lock, said lifter being provided with trunnions through which it is rotatably supported by said bracket, and means for actuating said lifter, said lifter being provided with oppositely extending lugs adapted to bind against portions of said bracket and thereby arrest the unlocking movement of said lifter when said lock accidentally moves toward unlocked position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM J REGAN. 

